About

Winters Rare Books is located in the beautiful city of Gouda, the Netherlands. The bookstore is owned by Jan Maliepaard, a financial expert and the widely acclaimed biographer of Chris van Abkoude, one of the most famous Dutch children's book authors, who was known in the United States as Charles Winters—a name that inspired the bookstore’s identity.

 Jan combines his analytical skills and financial expertise with deep market knowledge to help collectors make informed and secure investments. Authenticity is at the heart of every transaction. Jan invests heavily in guaranteeing the provenance of each book, ensuring that every purchase is not only secure but also truly magical. His dedication to authenticity is evident in his exposure of the master forger of J.K. Rowling’s signature, a revelation that led to a documentary on Dutch national television.

This extraordinary story has garnered worldwide media attention and was also featured in a cover article in The Rowling Library Magazine.

To ensure the authenticity of signatures, Jan works closely with Adam Houston of The Harry Potter Specialist, the world’s foremost expert on J.K. Rowling’s signature.